Remy and his friends were excited. They were on the train and it was about to pull into Kings Cross for the winter holidays. After the past few weeks they were excited to have a few weeks off.

Fred was happy for a different reason. "No Chloe for once at Christmas. Her parents are taking her off on vacation this year."

George nodded. "Probably so depressed from all the toilet cleaning that she had to beg her parents to take her away and cheer her up."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and get the Christmas gift everyone wants, and Chloe will be gone from the school soon enough."Hermione chimed in.

Remy wasn't so sure. "I'd be happy if she got sent off to Beauxbautons but I won't believe it until I see it. My luck has been good but not that good."

Draco decided to change subject. "Well at least you guys are all coming to the big New Years eve party this year. It'll be odd not to see you guys until then."

Remy shrugged. "My dads are being really tight lipped about our plans for Christmas this year. I'm sure I can convince them to let me come over before then."

The train had slowly started to pull into the station though and Remy was surprised both of his dads had come for him. He ran to hug them both before he turned to say goodbye to his friends.

"Papa, why all the secrecy about Christmas? And why aren't we going to the Malfoys for Christmas Eve?" Remy asked and Draco nodded.

Severus and Remus shared a look. "We have some special plans for Christmas this year. We thought that after the year you had, you could use a bit of a break."

Remus jumped in. "We've been so proud of how you handled all of this and we promise you'll be back for the New Years' Eve party with your friends."

Remy shrugged and started hugging everyone. "I'll miss you guys but I can't wait to see you when we come for the party."

Lucius shared a smile with Remy's parents before turning to him. "You know you'll be missed but I think you'll be pretty happy."

Remy shot him an odd glance but he finished saying hid goodbyes and walked with his dads out of the train station. He was shocked though when they ended up apparating and not to Grimmauld place.

"Where are we?" Remy asked though he was pretty sure he knew.

"We are at the Heathrow portkey terminal. We thought it was time the three of us took a proper family vacation." Severus said.

"Really?" Remy was so excited. They had never really traveled other then in the UK. The furthest he had been was Ireland when he was seven.

Remus nodded. "A change of scenery and some fun for Christmas was what we thought you could use. Your Uncle Siri will be joining us later on."

Remy was bouncing up and down wondering where they were taking him on his first real holiday. "Where are we going? Where, please tell me."

Severus laughed and walked him over to where they were to collect the portkey. "Sorry cub, but it wouldn't be much of a surprise if we told you that."

Remy took a hold of the odd looking disk that the woman handed them. "Okay. I love surprises."

Remus and Severus took a hold of it and after three minutes they felt the horrible tug of the portkey behind their naval and they disappeared. When they reappeared and their heads cleared Remy still had no idea where they were standing.

"Okay another airport. Which airport is it? We're here, you have to tell me." Remy begged.

Severus laughed and pointed at a sign off in the distance. "O'Hare airport. Does that give you a clue?"

Remy looked at the name. "We're in the United States aren't we? I don't know where but I remember that name from some where."

Remus nodded. "The muggle TV your Uncle Siri insists on keeping probably. Chicago. We're in Chicago. One of the cities in the US with a major wizard community."

Remy remembered that in the US the wizarding world was much different. There were schools like Harvard with wizard colleges. Magic was less hidden here though they weren't to flaunt it in front of muggles either. He had seen Chicago on his Uncle's television a lot and he was excited to be here.

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Later they were sitting in their beautiful down town Chicago hotel suite and Remy was looking out the window as the snow was falling over the city. He had never stayed in a muggle hotel and he was excited.

Severus came over. "I know it seems odd we brought you some where colder then home but it's time to hear the other half of your Christmas surprise."

Remy looked up and Remus handed him a pamphlet. "Chicago has a wizard hospital that rivals St. Mungo's. They have a doctor very good at eye correction spells."

"You mean it? I get to finally have the surgery? I thought that I had to wait until the whole Peter thing was over." Remy said.

Severus smiled. "We decided in the US it would be safe enough for you to have it. I know two days in a foreign hospital isn't a great Christmas gift but..."

Remy stopped his Papa. "It is. It's awesome. I can go back to playing quidditch without my glasses. This is awesome. When do I have the surgery?"

Severus picked up a second bag. "Tomorrow morning. It will mean you'll be out on Christmas Eve and then after you recover, we can enjoy the city."

Remy was definitely excited about having the procedure and could barley sleep that night after they came back from dinner at a Chicago pizza place but in the morning he was suddenly a bit in a panic when they got to the hospital.

Remus noticed it when the nurse was preparing to take Remy in for the procedure. "Are you okay cub?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Maybe I should wait." Remy said.

Severus leaned down to kiss him. "I know you hate hospitals cub but this isn't really a surgery, not like those muggle TV shows. I promise you're fine."

Remus squeezed his hand. "You are so brave when facing giant snakes and on the quidditch pitch cub, this should be nothing for you."

Then he heard another familiar voice. "My little cub is not scared of anything. I know he's going to face this like everything else."

"Uncle Siri!" Remy said as his Uncle came to kiss him on the head. "I'm happy you came."

The healer came in. "Are you ready for this young man?"

Remy looked at his three dads and finally nodded his head. "Yes sit, I'm ready."

The healer smiled and fed Remy a sleeping draught that would keep him out. "This should take a half hour and when you wake it will be all over/"

Remy slowly started drifting off and he was taken off by the healer who assured his fathers that everything was quite simple and they'd see him in about a half hour though he'd be out for a day.

Remus turned to Sirius when Remy was gone. "I'm glad you made it in time. I don't think I've seen the cub so scared about anything since he was little."

Sirius smiled. "He usually is awake and had a wand or broom in hand. I think it's more about the hospital. He has hated them since he was pretty small."

Severus sighed as they sat to wait. "I hate them too but I'm happy that Remy is in the hospital for a good reason and I don't have to worry about gray hairs."

Remus laughed. "It is a chance that he hasn't been admitted to a hospital with a fracture or a concussion. It has gratefully been a while since he has been."

Sirius kept mum about the visits to the hospital wing this year as he had made Remy a promise he'd keep quiet as long as Remy took more care. The last thing they needed right now was to worry about anything more. As common a procedure as this was and assured Remy, they were still on edge until the healer came out and said all had gone well and until Remy was back in his room again.

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Remy was released late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. His head was still bothering him slightly but with the headache potions from his Papa he was doing better. His eyes would take a few days to fully recover but he would have 20/20 vision or better when he healed. For now he had minimal prescription glasses. Christmas morning he was up as early as ever with Sirius, waking his dads.

When they finished breakfast Remy went to the gifts and saw a few from his dads among those from his friends. "I thought the trip was my gift."

Severus laughed. "Only our son would complain when he gets Christmas gifts under the tree."

Remus smiled. "You have been so good this year, did you think we'd only make the trip. The trip was to let you have the surgery we had to put off."

Remy beamed as he tore into the gifts. There was his usual assortment of books from his friends and a few teachers, as well as some Zonko's products from the twins, candies and a subscription to Quidditch monthly and some new gloves from Sirius. Some clothes and books were followed by one last gift from his dads.

Remy looked at the small package but before he could open it Severus enlarged it for him. "A Firebolt? This is the top broom." Remy shouted as he unwrapped it.

Remus smiled. "We promised you a new broom. We had thought of replacing your Nimbus with another but we thought we'd splurge and make it a Christmas gift."

Sirius pointed at the broom. "And to top it all I had that friend of mine who works with the national team's brooms, to do the enhancements to this one as well."

Remy couldn't believe it. "This is so incredible. I mean this is ten times better then a Nimbus 2001.The national team uses these. Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you."

Severus let out a strangled. "Your welcome." As his son hugged him so tightly he was cutting off the air.

They spent Christmas having dinner at the hotel. Remy had to wait a few days until he was better to try out his new broom but they kept him busy with muggle and wizard experiences in Chicago including a hockey game and then a quidditch game. On their last day he got to take his broom for a spin. It was even more incredible then he had imagined. He couldn't wait to tell his friends when he saw them the next day at the New Year's party back home.